Filling stations for dispensing gasoline and other fuels have long had a problem with vehicles pulling away from fuel dispensing pumps with the dispensing nozzle still inserted in the vehicle's tank, or with the nozzle or dispensing hose otherwise secured or hung on the vehicle. Such incidents usually result in damage to the dispensing pump and/or breakage of the dispensing hose. It will be appreciated that repairing the resulting damage to the dispensing pump or hose can be very costly. Further, the fuel spillage which can result from such damage can create a dangerous and possibly life threatening condition. Attempts have been made to overcome this problem by installing two hoses joined by a breakaway hose coupling device between the dispensing pump and nozzle, with the coupling device being designed to disengage and seal the hose ends when pressure is exerted on the coupling as in the case where a vehicle pulls away from the pump with the nozzle or hose still attached. Certain devices of this type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,905,733; 4,691,941; 4,402,533; 3,435,848; 3,211,178; 3,097,867; and 2,397,265. Such devices are also disclosed in U.S.S.R. Patent No. 491000 and British Patent No. 1088640. However, such coupling devices are generally rigid structures which inhibit the mobility of the dispensing nozzle.
Also, heretofore, swivel couplings have been placed between dispensing hoses, or between the hose and the dispensing pump or nozzle to increase the mobility of the dispensing nozzle. Such swivel couplings allow the dispensing nozzle to pivot on an axis perpendicular or inclined with respect to the axis of the hose to which it is secured. However, this requires the installation of a separate device between the dispensing pump and dispensing nozzle. Attempts have been made to incorporate a swivel mechanism into a breakaway hose coupling, but the swivel mechanism tends to disrupt the proper operation of the breakaway mechanisms often causing the coupling either to fail to disconnect or to fail to properly seal the hose ends or dispensing device. Examples of attempts to incorporate a swivel mechanism into a breakaway coupling are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,800,913; 4,791,961; 4,779,638; 4,827,960; and 4,827,961.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a breakaway hose coupling for joining two fuel dispensing devices which incorporates a swivel mechanism, and which provides for flow through communication of recaptured fuel vapor.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a breakaway hose coupling which disengages and terminates the flow of fluid from such dispensing devices in response to a disengaging force in excess of a preselected value being exerted on the coupling device, and which has an integrated swivel mechanism which does not disrupt the disengaging of the coupling device or the proper termination of the fluid flow from the dispensing devices.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a breakaway hose coupling with an integrated swivel mechanism which is light, compact and inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.